Never Going Back
by StarvingReader
Summary: Changing worlds changes people as well. Aurelia is now immortal, extremely powerful, and extremely lost. Somehow ending up in Eren Luid before The Adventure, she has to deal with a few issues of her own as well as the Company's. (summaries definitely are not my strong suit)


The cloaked figure looked up, pushing her hood from her eyes. A large wooden wall blocked her view of the settlement beyond. With a sigh, she began hiking up the hill to the gate. After living on her own in the Wild for several years, she wasn't sure if she was ready for civilization.

"Please state your name and business," a short, white-bearded man said, albeit in a friendly tone.

"My name is Aurelia, and I am lost. Could you please tell me where I am?"

"Certainly." The man's chest puffed out a bit at this statement. "You are just outside Ered Luin, known in the Common Tongue as the Blue Mountains."

Aurelia showed no signs of surprise externally, but she received the largest shock of her life. She was in Middle Earth? _How? _

Aurelia was not her real name. Middle Earth was not where she lived. This short man was not a Man, but a Dwarf.

After struggling for a few minutes, she managed to keep her mask of cool indifference in one piece. Misunderstanding her silence, the _dwarf_ said kindly, "There are places for weary travelers to rest for the night. Orc attacks have been increasing lately. It's not safe for a lady to wander the Wild by herself, especially at night."

_You have no idea_, Aurelia thought to herself. After living in the Wild for such a long time with nothing but the clothes on her back, she was probably more able to survive than the dwarf standing in front of her.

However, it would be advantageous to keep up pretenses of being weak and lonely. She could weasel some food out of a sympathetic person, as she had no money or plans to stay. Going with this logic, she replied, "Thank you. I am very weary from my journey."

The dwarf bowed. "Balin, at your service, ma'am."

"And Aurelia at yours. Would you be so kind as to direct me to an inn or the like?"

Balin pointed her in the right direction, leaving butterflies in her stomach. Balin… Thorin Oakenshield's friend and advisor… oh Bonam Fortunam! (_Latin- Good Luck_)

The wooden sign dangling over the door signaled that Aurelia had found her destination. The sky had darkened, and the first stars were beginning to peep over the rays of light from the moon.

The inside of the bar was loud and rowdy. She guessed that several dwarves had already had a few pints of their evening brews. Finding a table in the far corner and putting up her hood, she was able to find some peace and quiet to collect her thoughts…

"Oh no, dear brother! It looks as if someone has taken our favorite table!" A young dwarf with long dark hair and short stubble elbowed another, presumably his brother. The brother had long golden hair and braids in his moustache/beard.

"Kili, he's a stranger here. How would he know that this is our regular haunt?"

Aurelia sighed before facing the two strangers. "I am sorry, I did not know you preferred to sit here. I can leave," she offered, getting up.

"No, no! Sit please! And you can remove your hood," Kili added hastily. The brothers both wore identical expressions of shock when her long, wavy hair tumbled out as well.

"You're a.. I mean, we didn't…" the brother stammered, before bowing. "Fili, at your service."

"Kili at your service as well!"

"Aurelia at yours and your families," she said with a smile. "And I was just leaving."

The brothers exchanged glances before shaking their heads. "Stay, we insist." Kili said. "We don't often get strangers here in Ered Luin."

"So, are you here with anyone? Where do you come from?" Fili questioned, his beads swinging with every twitch of his lips.

"I am alone. I came from…" she hesitated. What would be a good place? She settled for "far away."

"Like how far?" Kili asked. Aurelia could tell he was the more inquisitive one, while Fili seemed more cautious and polite.

Fili nudged his brother and Aurelia was spared from answering.

"Welcome to the Blue Mountains!" he said with a grin. "I guess then we're your official welcoming committee!"

"Have you had dinner?" Kili asked.

"Yes," she lied. She had gone for a couple of days in a row without eating before. One more meal wouldn't hurt.

The brothers chatted for a while, mostly to themselves, but always including Aurelia. After a while, they stood up.

"Pleasure meeting you," they said. "Walk home with us! Unless you plan on staying here."

Balin was kind in pointing out this inn, but the rowdiest crowd was just getting started. Aurelia already missed the peace and quiet of the woods.

"No, I am staying elsewhere." Another lie, but what these dwarves didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

As they exited, a few drunks staggered towards the trio. "Have a good evening, lady and gents. And in case I don't see you, good night, good morning, and good afternoon too!"

The brothers shouldered their way through the pack, leaving Aurelia to trail behind. As she was passing between the last two, one grabbed her shoulders and wheeled her around.

"You're a pretty lady," he slurred.

"Let me go," she said firmly, while analyzing the situation. Five drunken, uncoordinated dwarves with no weapons. Piece of cake.

As he refused to loosen his grip, she twisted out of his grasp.

"Leave her alone," Fili warned. Kili said nothing, only stepped closer to her.

As another tried to pin her against the wall. She kicked him hard in the shins, prompting the other four to run aggressively towards her. She effectively knocked all them out one by one, hitting one in the nose and another on the neck. As she finished off the last offender, she walked quickly over to where her friends were standing. "Can we go?" she asked.

They took off without a word. She caught them staring many times. "What, never seen a woman fight before?"

"No, it's just that…" Fili trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"What?" she demanded.

"Well, if we had blinked, we would have missed it. How did you get such quick reflexes?" Kili asked with awe.

"Living in the woods makes one quick to ensure survival," she said shortly. Why would she trust civilization again? The last time they drove her out…

"I think our uncle would love to meet you," Fili said, stopping at what was ostensibly his home. "Come inside."

"No, I really couldn't. I don't want to impose." Before the brothers could open their mouths in protest, she waved and turned away.


End file.
